Out of Time (2003)

Truly Dreadful Film

Great Film overall

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Well-acted formulaic thriller with obligatory twists. It's difficult to write a long review without spoilers, and it doesn't really merit an extensive one either, because, at heart, this film is so unexceptional. For me it's a 6 to 7, but I'm going with 7, because of how beautifully it was filmed in Florida. I really, really loved the locations, the camera work, and the pacing of the film, all of which I thought were excellent and made this film a genuine pleasure to watch, even though in all other respects it was so ordinary. Watch it for the travelogue aspects in addition to the storyline and you too might find that it is worth the time.

***SPOILERS*** Film noir murder drama with Denzel Washington as Baryan Key police chief Matt Whitlock who get's himself trapped in a fraudulent insurance scheme that almost lands him behind bars or in his grave. Trying to help his girlfriend Ann Harrison, Sanaa Latham, get treatment for her terminal cancer Whitlock uses $450,000.00 of confiscated drug money he has locked in the police station's safe to pay her way to Switzerland and get the life saving treatment that she so desperately needs. As things turn out both Ann and her abusive husband Chris, Dean Cain, end up dead in a suspicious fire that engulfed their home that also incinerated the 450 G's he gave her. What made things even worse for Wintlock is that he was put by Ann on an insurance policy as the sole beneficiary for a $1,000,000.00 payment in the case of her death! This put Wintlock on the spot in being the #1 suspect in both Ann & Chris deaths that has now been declared or upgraded as an arson murder. And as for the now gone 450's, that he expected the insurance money to replace, Wintlock has to answer to the DEA in what happened to it. A lot like "Body Heat" that covered the same ground as well as territory, Southern Florida, the film "Out of Time" has Whitlock set up in a complicated scheme to defraud the insurance company that has all the evidence pointing at him. ***SPOILERS*** Backtracking to get to the the meat of the matter Whintlock finds out that Ann and Chris, together with a phony doctor, had used him to get their hands on the drug money and end up framing him not only for stealing it but murdering them as well! Now with time running out and the ax about to fall on him, by the DEA agents finding out he heisted the drug money, Wintlock can only hope that he get's to both Ann & Chris before the law gets to him as well as them skipping out of the country and leaving him holding the bag!***MAJOR SPOILER***Beautiful Florida photography as well as fine acting from it's cast especially the sexy and hot as a Florida summer Eva Mendez, who looks like a young Raquel Welch, as Wintlock's estrange wife Alex as Baryan Key's top homicide detective make the somewhat uneven storyline and unnecessary sub-plots in "Out of Time" more then watchable. In the end Wintlock finally tracks down those who tried to frame him,Ann & Chris, but ends up at the end of a gun barrel pointed straight at his head and about to go off. That's until Alex shows up in the nick of time to prevent that from happening!

"Out Of Time" is full of excitement, danger and suspense and although its rather intricate plot is very familiar in nature, it's totally gripping from start to finish. Inspiration for the story was obviously drawn from all those film noirs about a guy who makes a bad decision which gets him into a fix and then has to race against time to prove his innocence. The significance to the story of a life insurance policy is reminiscent of "Double Indemnity" (1944) and the presence of a hapless man who's involved in an investigation where he knows that all the evidence is certain to point to his guilt, brings to mind "The Big Clock" (1948). There's even a scene in a hotel where Denzel Washington is unable to leave by the main exit because of all the activity in the foyer and this replicates a very similar situation in "The Big Clock" where Ray Milland is confronted by the same type of problem.This movie very successfully combines its themes of adultery, larceny and murder with action sequences, amusing plot twists and a good deal of humour to produce some terrific entertainment. The photography and direction are top class and the locations used contribute greatly to the sultry atmosphere of the whole piece.Matt Whitlock (Denzel Washington) is the Chief of Police in the small town of Banyan Key, Florida. His wife is in the process of divorcing him and he's involved in a passionate affair with Ann Merai Harrison (Sanaa Lathan) who used to be his childhood sweetheart. She's married to Chris (Dean Cain) a violent ex-pro football player who frequently beats her but also conveniently works in the evenings as a security guard.Ann asks Matt to accompany her when she visits her doctor who tells her that she's terminally ill with cancer and only has a few months to live. The only possibility of a better outcome is if she's able to undergo some expensive experimental therapies which are only available in Switzerland. As Ann is in no position to afford this option, Matt decides to let her have $485,000 of drugs money which is kept in his office safe to be used at some future date as evidence in a trial and in return, Ann makes Matt the sole beneficiary of a life insurance policy which is due to pay out $1,000,000 in the event of her death.A little while later, Ann's house burns down, two charred bodies are found inside and the money's gone. Tests indicate that the fire was started deliberately and so an investigation is set up to discover who was responsible for the double homicide. This puts Matt in a real tight spot because he knows that he'll become the main suspect if it comes to light that he is the sole beneficiary of her insurance policy. Just to make matters worse, there's a neighbour who reports that she saw him outside Ann's house on the night of the fire, his estranged wife Alex (Eva Mendes) is the homicide detective assigned to the case and the DEA suddenly demand the drugs money which is needed urgently to be entered as evidence in an important trial that they're prosecuting.Denzel Washington is excellent as the fall guy who has to suppress the evidence he doesn't want to be uncovered whilst also trying to hunt down the real culprits before it's too late. This involves him in some exciting chases, a dangerous struggle on a hotel balcony and some tense situations such as when he intercepts the records of Ann's telephone calls so that he can delete the entries that relate to his calls before Alex scrutinizes the documents. Despite the things that he does wrong, Matt remains a sympathetic character throughout. Washington is naturally charismatic and handles all the aspects of his role with supreme skill and conviction.There are also some good supporting performances with Dean Cain being impressively menacing and John Billingsley providing both charm and humour as Matt's sidekick.

Out of Time is directed by Carl Franklin and written by David Collard. It stars Denzel Washington, Eva Mendes, Sanaa Lathan, Dean Cain and John Billingsley. Music is by Graeme Revell and cinematography by Theo Van de Sande.Matthias Whitlock (Washington) is chief of police in little Banyan Key, Florida. Respected for his work and basically honest in the line of duty. Away from work, however, his marriage to Alex (Mendes) has failed, he's having an affair with an abused wife and he likes a little drink on duty. So when his lover Anne Harrison (Lathan) springs on him the shocking news that she has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, it naturally shakes his world. But this news is merely the start of something bigger, for pretty soon Matt will be in the unusual situation of having to stay one step of his own kind or face dire consequences.It's a film proudly wearing a badge of homage to film noir of the 40s. In fact it very much plays out as a contemporary riff on John Farrow's excellent Ray Milland starrer of 1948, The Big Clock. But that's fine, especially when you have some knowing craft in front and behind the camera in the shape of Franklin (Devil in a Blue Dress) and Washington (take your pick here really!). Yet as great as Franklin and Washington's work is, they all owe a debt to Collard's screenplay. Inventive in how it plays out as a plot, with it's many tight situations laid down for Washington's duped law enforcer to try and get out of, the screenplay has a knack for deft humour, often sly, which is something that even some of the hardest of noirs from the golden era are tinted with. The secret is being able to blend the humour with quality moments of suspense, and this picture manages to do that with some interest.Film also benefits greatly from the tight atmosphere created by photographer de Sande. Sweaty Florida in daylight doesn't cry out as being a good starting point for an offshoot of film noir (real Florida locations were thankfully used), but the scenic beauty is never realised during the drama sequences, colours are toned down, even for a stunning red sky, and this perfectly becomes at one with a near frantic Washington as the tricksters of Banyan Key start to close in on him. It's nice too see, also, interracial couples forming the core of the story, while the dominance of sexuality is firmly given a shrewd work over by director and writer. There's good thought gone in to making this, enough to steer it away from charges of just being a faux neo-noir production.Problems? Yes, a few. Inevitability of outcome is hard to shake off whilst viewing it, especially for those well versed in the genre (sub-genre). Clichés and contrivances are stacked up like a pile of cop thriller 101 books, and Franklin goes smug (daft) by dropping in a couple of slow frame sequences that the film clearly didn't need. While the big showdown in the finale lacks a gut punch. But this is a good viewing, sexy at times and always eye catching, it also pleasingly chooses perky dialogue over action to make its dramatic point. The cast around Washington enhance the quality: Lathan in the tricky role shows a number of layered gears, Cain is imposing as a bully boy husband (where did this Cain go?) and Billingsley almost sneaks in and steals the movie as the loyal and stoic comedy side-kick.So pesky flaws aside, this is a good recommendation as a night in movie for those with a kink for contemporary neo-noir. 7/10